TEXT: John 12:27-36
READING: Galatians 6:1-18
SUBJ: The Heavenly confirmation to Christ and for the sakes of the people of the glory of God in and through Christ our Lord and His Gospel promise to draw all to Himself.
AIM: That we might be moved to a heightened sense of the greatest of our salvation experience the wondrous attraction of He who was lifted up for us.
INTR: We can only imagine what it might have been like to hear a thundering voice or a voice from out of the thunder as did many here. This display of the connection between the Father and the Son is awe inspiring to say the very least.
1. Having taken note of the appearance of Gentile believers seeking after Him our Lord proceeds to the declarations involving the impending cross and its suffering.
2. As in all things, however, the glory of God is the issue and the realization of it is fully realized in what occurred at Calvary and so He continues to pre-figure just that.
3. Central to His speech at this point is the promise to draw all men unto Himself. C. H. Spurgeon here characterized Christ and the cross as “The Marvelous Magnet” as did others.
THESIS: The eternal determination of God is to glorify Himself and His Son through the salvation of a people for His Name and it would be accomplished by way of the cross. So it was that the Son must be lifted up.
I. A Voice from Heaven (vv. 27-29)
1. The expression of our Lord here indicates the great dread He of what lay before Him:
1) It would seem that the human nature of Christ is here in view and it was only natural to experience what we should in contemplation of such an ordeal.
2) The thought of the sinless One facing the wrath and contempt of God was agonizing in and of itself.
3) It causes to think of the bloody sweat in the Garden.
2. The question posed here is a subject of disagreement with many as to the outcome:
1) At first look it would seem that the question is rhetorical with an implied no and that may well be true.
2) Some would see it as a prayer making the same request as that in Gethsemane. The flesh would shrink from it but there would be immediate surrender to the will of the Father.
3) Others our see it as an actual prayer that simply ask that He be saved from out of the ordeal: Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; Hebrews 5:7
3. But then the prayer to the Father to glorify Himself and that was verbally answered:
1) Saying I have glorified it – in the birth, ministry, obedience and miracles.
2) And I will glorify it – “by supporting Him under, and carrying Him through His sufferings and death and by raising Him from the dead and setting Him as His own right hand.” Gill
3) See also: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Matthew 3:17). And: And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: (Revelation 14:2).
4. A mixed reaction and analysis – Some heard words – a stunning occurrence!
II. A Voice on Earth (vv. 30-33)
1. The answer from Jesus was that this was for them implying that what was said was for them to believe on Him.
1) He was the Messiah and would have them to believe it.
2) In that God the Father had so spoken to Him.
2. The judgment of this world was come!
1) In view of what was done at the cross judgment was confirmed as to its state
2) Assurance was given in view of what would be done to Christ: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. Acts 17:31
3) This would discover Christ alone as acceptable among all of the cosmos.
4) The prince of this world is disenfranchised, and his kingdom is destroyed! Death is destroyed!!
3. The lifting up of Christ
1) Some think that this looks to the ultimate lifting into Heaven and certainly this is the ultimate end.
2) The fact that John connects it to the manner of His death seems to confine it to that.
4. What is to be understood in either or both cases are that it is He who will draw and so:
1) We are reminded of His words in No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. John 6:44
2) There is an attraction to Him in regard especially to the cross. That attraction includes:
i. That great love which drove Him and the willingness to suffer.
ii. His self-abnegation to the ultimate degree.
iii. To be noted is that the word “men” is not in the original
3) It is not all without exception else all would come – but we may conclude that all who come to Him do so because they were drawn to Him and His cross.
III. A Voice of Reason (vv. 34-36)
1. The people challenged the declaration of being lifted up in that they had heard that Christ must continue ever. See: The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. Psalms 110:4
2. His answer is not an explanation – He will never respond to such a demand
3. Instead, He exhorted them to faith in Him and so to walk in the Light which is to believe Him for who He is.
4. The darkness of irrecoverable unbelief? A sad condition. Christ is the attraction and where there is salvation, He is the center of it all!
